I’ve lost count of the seals I have rescued
Marine medic tells s us aboutab his job saving sea creatures
MARINE animals medic Chris Cureton works with British Divers Marine Life Rescue and The Seal Welfare Organisation. He helps injured and stranded marine mammals such as seals, dolphins and whales. Here he tells us about his work.
What types of animal do you rescue?
I’ve lost count of the amount of seals I’ve rescued. I’ve also helped to rescue harbour porpoises, dolphins and a fin whale. Fin whales are one of the biggest animals on Earth, second only to the blue whale.
They have a very distinctive bottom jaw. The left side is black and the right side is white. We think the white side helps them to scare fish so they can swallow the whole shoal in one gulp.
Do you give the animals first aid?
Yes everything we do is first aid. For example we treat small wounds on seals with a waterproof spray. We also cool dolphins to prevent overheating.
Where do you take an injured animal once you have rescued it?
We don’t take ke dolphins or whales es in. We examine them and then refloat them in the sea once we have decided they are healthy. Seal pups can be taken to various rescue centres around the UK. They are released back into the wild when they are healthy and heavy enough.
How do you transport them?
We often transport seals in our cars. We use large dog cages for them as they don’t need to be kept wet. Occasionally we might move dolphins short distances to a suitable beach. This can be done in a vehicle. The dolphin’s skin is kept moist using a wet sheet.
Seals have a very distinctive smell, like a fishy wet dog. Once you’ve had one in your car for a few hours you’d never forget it. If they poo during transit that’s a whole new smell altogether!
What do you like about being a medic?
I get an amazing feeling when I help to save an animal. I also enjoy training brand new marine mammal medics and passing on my passion.
I’ve always loved nature and seals are my favourite animal. The best place to see these gorgeous animals is in their own environment, wild and free. ■ If you see an injured or stranded marine animal, you can call the British Divers Marine Life Rescue hotline on 01825 765546. See bdmlr.org.uk